CARACTERIZACIÓN DE LOS RATONES KO

North Flagg was the first continent to be settled by humans, and it remains home to highest population in Saurian. The continent was named for Roland Flagg, the captain of the original band of set- tlers. Flagg died in a construction accident soon after the vessel set

down, and the thankful townspeople memorialized him by naming both North and South Flagg after their fallen leader.

The first landing site was near what is now known as Lake Heaven. The lake’s name was given to it because the area surrounding the body of water was the very picture of frontier loveliness. Vibrantly colored flowers grew amid knee-high grasses, and a gentle wind kept the heat from becoming too oppressive. The first colonists reported seeing a number of interesting avians in the area, including gator- ducks, a bird whose overall look resembled that of Earth ducks, but with one major difference — this bird’s bill is filled with needle-like teeth, capable of slicing to the bone. Gatorducks became an early staple of the settlers’ diets, but it was later learned that the birds sometimes carried deadly parasites in their flesh. Prolonged cooking of the birds could kill off all traces of the parasites, but it left the meat almost too tough to eat. Gatorducks are rarely consumed any longer (though some are attempting to make gatorduck jerky), and they’ve acquired a reputation for being unlucky.

Transport from North Flagg to the other continents is usually accomplished via rovers (such as the ones used on Luminous) or by boat. Psiron-powered fishing yachts are quite popular, though some of the older men and women construct and sail wooden boats.

Aside from the “capitol” city of Evergreen, most of the towns in North Flagg are small and not very well organized. Local law enforce- ment tends to be of the “might makes right” variety, with landowners drowning out the voices of the oppressed.

Evergreen

The town of Evergreen was founded near Lake Heaven, and it remains the planet’s premiere city in terms of size, education, and cul- ture. During the corrupt days of Colonial Governor Truman Landon, Evergreen sometimes played host to political conferences, during

which Landon would usually outline his agenda for the next year. Since the coming of the Rangers, Evergreen’s importance in system affairs has waned, and the decision to place the Amatsumaran Senate on Luminous instead of in Evergreen still galls many of the locals.

Evergreen is somewhat unique in Amatsumara in that it was a “planned” city, with all the streets laid out in a grid pattern. East-west running roads are named after flowers and trees from Earth (like Elm, Oak, or Rose) and include “avenue” in their title. Those that run north-south on the grid are named after noted settlers of Evergreen (such as Landon, Romanov, and Onus) and have “street” linked with them. In the very center of town is a building dubbed the Gathering Place. This is a ramshackle building whose interiors are taken up by a number of converted church pews. It’s here that the leaders of Evergreen — and sometimes from all over Saurian — come to discuss important matters. By local custom, all men, regardless of stature in the community, are allowed equal respect in the Gathering Place. For this reason, many of the wealthier ranchers have stopped attending meetings. It’s easier for them to do as they please with- out bothering to actually listen to complaints about their actions. Despite this, the Gathering Place still occupies a unique position in the city’s history and is spoken of with great affection by almost all.

Next door to the Gathering Place is Junky’s, a saloon that’s been manned by three generations of the Thompkins family. The current owner, Monty Thompkins, is a one-legged man with thinning blond hair and blue eyes. He’s been saving up for some time to pay for one of the cyberware augmentations they offer on the black market in Luminous.

Monty’s considered a good friend to all. He listens with a sympa- thetic ear to all the troubles of the town and always has a kind word — and another glass of whiskey — to help console all who come to him.

The saloon gets its name from the somewhat crowded nature of the bar’s interior, which does double duty as Monty’s “museum of curiosi- ties.” Any oddity that’s found in the area, be it a three-eyed raptor calf or the cast of an unusually large footprint, is brought to Monty, who duti- fully places it on a shelf or tabletop, complete with metic- ulous notes on who gave it and where they found it. Junky’s was also once famous for its topless dancing girls, but this has pretty much disappeared since the Rangers arrived and attempted to put a stop to the open prostitution that went on backstage. In order to drum up new business, Junky’s has taken the relatively unusual step of employing male danc- ers for some shows. This effort to attract female patrons has

met with mixed success so far, but Monty thinks it’ll catch on even- tually.

Thick Paul Sizemore is the local blacksmith, making metal raptor shoes and harnesses from metals found in the area. Settlepot is the strongest and most durable that’s been found, with a density and strength roughly equal to Earth iron. Paul is a bit slow in the mental department, leading to his nickname, but he’s capable of running his own business and knows when he’s being taken advantage of. That, coupled with his massive physique, means that Paul usually gets treated quite fairly.

Settlepot is mined in several places on Saurian, including a large area just north of Evergreen. The metal is used for a variety of pur- poses and has become standard throughout the system. In fact, the hover-buses on Luminous and the jungle skimmers on Verdant are all manufactured using the material. Most of the mining work is done the old-fashioned way with picks and axes chipping away at the ancient rock, but there are a few technological improvements that have slowly made their way into the industry in recent years. Laseraxes are the tool of choice now for most younger miners, though the older ones complain that the laseraxes are too imprecise and damage the settlepot. Men and women who handle the metal for long periods of time sometimes complain of “gray skin,” a rela- tively harmless malady where their fingertips and hands are stained a dusky gray color. This stain seems to seep through multiple levels of skin and take up to three years of non-settlepot contact to fade completely.

Evergreen’s mayor also doubles as one of the planet’s senators. Louis Tubbleville definitely puts an emphasis on his mayoral duties, only making it to the bare minimum of senatorial appearances. Louis is a jolly man in his mid-fifties, with a rotund build and tufts of white hair on the sides of his head. Louis has been married six times, with each of his wives being much younger and very pretty. If not for the fact that his ranch is one of the largest in the area, Louis would have been bankrupted by each of the divorces. He’s currently courting potential wife number seven, a store clerk named Mable Sizemore, who just happens to be Thick Paul’s younger sister.

Despite Tubbleville’s governmental positions, the true powerbro- kers in Evergreen are Silas Wilcox, Jacob Oleander, and Logan Earp. These three men have spent the last 10 years buying up the prop- erty of other ranchers. Friends since their childhoods, the men share everything, from the land to the money earned. Wilcox is seen as the leader of the trio, but he’s loyal to his partners, and all three are given an equal say in how things are to be done. It was Oleander who sug- gested the three men skip the town meetings held at the Gathering Place. He was also the one who broached the idea of hiring toughs to “encourage” other ranchers to sell their lands. These toughs are known as Oleander’s Brigade and are feared wherever they go. In Evergreen, they are frequently given discounted drinks in the saloons, sometimes take advantage of various ladies, and have been known to intimidate Mayor Tubbleville into looking the other way when they get into fights and such. The captain of the Brigade is Jonah Mosley, a violent man whose scarred visage mirrors that of his soul.

The Brigade turned their attentions to Bill Bedingfield’s ranch over a year ago, pressuring the man to give up the lands he’d worked for so long. Bedingfield resisted, even going so far as to ask the Rangers to assist him. Deputy Aaron Foster arrived from Tenebrous, eager to be free of the “Twilight Planet.” Foster immediately set up a meet- ing with Wilcox, Oleander, and Earp, during which he explained

the charges that had been made and warned them that he would be watching their activities in the future. Foster returned to Evergreen for the night, confident that he’d resolved the matter in the space of a few hours. Wilcox was furious that Bedingfield would violate the local code of conduct and turn to an outside party. The other two men agreed with their leader, and around midnight, the Brigade was dispatched to teach Bedingfield a lesson. A gang of 20 rode onto the Bedingfield property, guns blazing. Armed with torches, they began burning the houses to the ground and gathering up the raptors to take back to Oleander and the others. When Bill Bedingfield and his son attempted to resist, the patriarch of the family was shot dead. As the Brigade rode off into the night, Bill’s son — Rusty — swore ven- geance. The next day, Wilcox stepped into the local bank and bought the property outright, pointing out that Rusty lacked the funds to keep paying off the sizeable mortgage on the ranch. The feud that’s developed between Rusty and the three men continues to his day.

The C&X Stellar Car Station is situated along the southwestern part of town, away from most of the ranches and stables. The stellar cars are known for giving the raptors a scare, and some of the more feisty steeds will sometimes throw their riders in an attempt to get away from the noise. The locals rarely visit the station, since most longtime residents are more than content to stay where they are, but the senators and some visitors from off-planet keep the station from going out of business.